Speaker
Description
This presentation reports on a qualitative case study examining how a Japanese returnee parent’s overseas educational experience shapes her beliefs about bilingualism and family language policy. Based on a semi-structured interview, preliminary findings suggest that bilingualism is framed as a resource enabling communication, mobility, and personal enrichment rather than academic achievement. The presentation situates these findings within family language policy research and discusses implications for educators working with returnee and internationally experienced families in Japan.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Interest in bilingual child-rearing has been growing in Japan, with many parents seeking exposure to English through schooling and extracurricular activities (Nakamura, 2023). Research on family language policy highlights the crucial role of parental beliefs and experiences in shaping children’s bilingual development. However, much of this research has focused on immigrant or minority-language families (e.g., Canagarajah, 2008; Kirsch, 2012; Nakamura, 2019), while little attention has been paid to Japanese returnee parents who share the majority language but possess overseas educational experiences. Understanding how such parents conceptualize bilingualism is relevant for educators and researchers working with diverse family backgrounds in Japan.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This study examines how Japanese parents’ educational backgrounds influence their beliefs about bilingualism and family language policy. Focusing on a Japanese returnee parent who lived in the US in childhood and is raising a toddler in Japan, the study addresses the following research questions: (1) How does a returnee parent describe the influence of her overseas experience on her family language ideology? (2) How does her overseas experience impact long-term goals for her children?
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The study is a qualitative case study. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview with one returnee parent living in Japan, conducted online via Zoom in Japanese for one hour. The interview focused on parental beliefs about bilingualism and overseas experiences, and was audio-recorded and transcribed, transcription checked by the participant for accuracy and request for deletions. It was then analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns in family language ideology and long-term goals.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Preliminary analysis suggests emerging themes in the parent’s narrative. These include viewing English as a tool for communication rather than an end goal, prioritizing children’s life experiences and wellbeing over linguistic proficiency alone, and the strong influence of the parent’s overseas experience on long-term educational aspirations. The findings highlight how bilingualism is framed as enabling future mobility, choice, and personal enrichment rather than merely academic achievement, aligning with a view of language as a resource (Ruiz, 1984). These insights may encourage educators to reconsider assumptions about parental motivations and to engage more sensitively with returnee families’ perspectives on bilingual education.
Abstract section 5: References
Canagarajah, A. S. (2008). Language shift and the family: Questions from the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 12(2), 143–176. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9841.2008.00361.x
Kirsch, C. (2012). Ideologies, struggles and contradictions: An account of mothers raising their children bilingually in Luxembourgish and English in Great Britain. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(1), 95–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2011.607229
Nakamura, J. (2019). Parents’ impact belief in raising bilingual and biliterate children in Japan. Psychology of Language and Communication, 23(1), 137–161. https://doi.org/10.2478/plc-2019-0007
Nakamura, J. (2023). English parenting for Japanese parents: A critical review of advice in self-help books for raising bilingual children in Japan. English Today, 39(1), 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078421000286
Richard Ruiz, R. (1984). Orientations in language planning. NABE Journal, 8(2), 15–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/08855072.1984.10668464
| Title | Japanese Returnee Parent's Beliefs About Bilingualism |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | General |